Cleaning apparatus



Sept. l5, 1942. w. l. GLADFELTER CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 19211 3' Shee'tsF-Sheet l y wizi'az Gzadjezm',

Sept 15, 1942 w. l. GLADFELTER 2,295,576

` CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1941 :s sheets-sheet 2 gnam/vtm,-

Sein.' 15, 1942.v

w. GLADFELTER 2,295,576

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 150 1&5, las

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Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNTED S'ila'i Fertilit? tt'i CLEANXNG APPARATUS Appiication April 9,1941, Serial No. 387,757

17 Claims.

In the manufacture of various types of containers, such as beer cansY having pouring open1 ings adapted to be sealed by crown caps, the containers are usually lined with liquid coating materials, such as wax compositions. After the containers are internally coated, the excess coating material is permitted to drain from the pouring openings while the containers are in inverted position in a drain oven or the like. As a result of the draining operation, a drop or nlm oi was often collects on the end face of the neck nish, surrounding the pouring opening. After the draining operation has been completed, the ccntainers are often reverted to upright position and passed through another heating oven, to permit the coating material at the bottom end to settle into and around the double seam between the bottom end member and the container side wall. If a drop or substantial film of wax is present on the neck iinish end of the container, it will tend to run down the side of the neck and' upon the upper, conical end of the container, with the result that the appearance of the container is adversely aiected, and a messy finished product is produced.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved method and machine for removing and wiping the excess-wax or other coating material from the neck finish ends of suoli containers, so that a clean sealing surface will same obiects as are set forth in the specification e of the foregoing application.

A further object of the invention is toV provide a machine wherein the containers are supported non-rotatably in cradles or brackets while the wiping operation is performed. With containers of certain types, it has been found to be a better practice to refrain from rolling or otherwise rotating them as they pass through a wiping machine, and the present invention provides new and improved devices for effectively cleaning the end faces and side walls of the neck finish ends of the containers while they are moved non-ro tatably through the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for causing a wiping apron to engage the end face and side walls of the neck nish end of a container simultaneously.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine that will handle a line of containers with the same speed and facility asvother machines in a container fabricating line, so that no delay in production is occasioned by the addition to the line of a neck wiping machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved wiping-material handling and tensioning means, whereby a supply of such material is always presented in an improved manner to the articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for removing any excess wax in the form of drops or strings from the necks of the containers before they are thoroughly cleaned by the wiping apron.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description of the specic embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational View of the machine.

Fignre 2 is a vertical section and elevationY taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one bracket and one wiping plunger assembly.

Figure 4 is a similar view, showing the parts in a different position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the parts shown at the right of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is an elevational View on an enlarged scale of a friction brake for the end of the wiping apron roll shaft.

Figure 7 is a similar View of the pinch roll mounting means, and

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic View of the drive for the various rolls.

The apparatus of the present invention is designed to operate upon containers, each having a drawn seamless body, a bottom end member double-seamed to one of its ends and a neck nish formed at the other end. Such containers, for example, are shown and des-cribed in detail in the copending application of Calleson et al., Serial No. 334,876, liled May 13, 1940. As pointed out in the copending application of Gladfelter & Schmidt, Serial No. 350,976, filed August 23, 1940, containers of this kind are rst preheated, then coated internally with wax and then passed, in inverted position, through a wax drain oven Where the excess Coating material is permitted to drain. Thereafter, the containers are reverted to upright position and are passed through a wax settling oven.

The apparatus of the present invention is preferably positioned in the line of movement of the containers as they emerge from the wax drain oven, carried by the conveyor chain associated with that oven and before the containers are transferred to the wax settling Oven conveyor. The machine functions to wipe the neck finish ends of the containers before they are brought to upright position.

The containers I8 are carried by cradles I I having yoke members I3 pivoted at I5 to their forward ends. The yokes have cam following rollers I6 associated therewith and similar rollers I6 are carried by the brackets themselves. The cradles are pivotally connected at I1 to brackets I8 which are attached 'by wings I9 to the wax drain oven conveyor chain 20. The brackets I8 ,carry supporting and guiding rollers 2l, 22 disposed in operative relation to tracks 23, 24.

As explained in the copending application of Gladfelter & E-rlich, Serial No. 405,866, filed August 1, 1941, the containers are transferred from the inside waxing machine to the cradles II in inverted position, the cradles at that time being at their lower limit of downward swinging movement. As the containers emerge from the exit end of the wax drain oven, the brackets II are swung upwardly to the horizontal position shown in Figures 1 and 2 by cam rail IIa, so that their neck ends may be effectively cleaned `by the apparatus of this invention. As the containers pass from this machine, the cradles I I are swung upwardly to the vertically disposed, upright position, where they are released from the cradles by upward swinging movement of the yoke I3 and transferred to the cables of the wax settling oven, not shown herein, but fully described in the lastmentioned application.

As pointed out above, s-pecial means are provided for removing any relatively large drops or other bodies of wax before the cans enter the wiping machine proper. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, an upwardly projecting flue 25 has its open upper end disposed below the path of movement off the neck finish ends 26 of the containers. A gas supply pipe 21 leads to a burner 28 in the flue, so that hot gases are constantly issuing from the flue, to raise the temperature of any wax coating material that may have collected in drop form on the lowermost Ipoints of the sealing beads 26 of the containers.

Above the flue 25 and in alignment with the ends of the containers, there is an air jet 29, adapted to direct a blast of air upon the neck nish ends of the containers, to remove the heated drops of wax. The drops fall downwardly into the flue 28 and may be collected in a suitable receptacle positioned adjacent the lower end thereof.

The wiping apparatus is carried by vertical posts 30, 3l supported in pedestals 32, 33 and interconnected at their upper ends by rods 34, 35 secured in suitable apertures in the ends of brackets 36, 31. Lower brackets 38, 39 and upper brackets 40, 4I are also carried by the posts 33, 3 I, for purposes hereinafter described.

The horizontal rods or bars 34, 35 carry bosses 42, 42' associated with transverse bearing sleeves 43, 43 in which shafts 44, 45 are journalled, the shafts having, at their forward ends, sprockets 46, 41 fixed thereon, for rotation in a vertical plane. A sprocket chain 50 having plunger assemblies 5I secured to alternate links, is trained about the sprockets 46, 41, the upper run of the .chain being disposed between tracks 53, 54 carried by forwardly and upwardly extended portions 55 of the brackets 36, 31.

Each plunger assembly 5I (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises a sleeve 56 bolted to wings 51 ycarried by the alternate links of the chain 58. The undersurfaces of the sleeves are flattened and shouldered to provide surfaces 58, 59 adapted to engage and slide along upon the upper surfaces and the inner side faces of the tracks 53, 54. Hence, the plunger assemblies 5I move along the tracks 53, 54 in predetermined spaced relation and at a predetermined speed under the influen-ce of rotation of the sprockets 46, 41. The containers in the cradles II move along a predetermined path in parallel relation to the upper run of the plunger assemblies on the chain, with their neck ends 26 aligned with the assemblies, means being provided, `as hereinafter explained, to cause the conveyor chain and the plunger assembly carrying chain 58 to move in unison, at the same speed.

The Ichain 20, at its rear end, at a point beyond the station where the -containers are transferred to the wax settling oven conveyor, is trained about a sprocket 68 (Fig. l) secured to the upper end of a shaft 6I journalled in brackets secured to an appropriate support. At its lower end the shaft 6I carries a sprocket 62 connected by a chain 63 to a sprocket 64 journalled on a stub shaft, not shown, carried by the upper end of a pedestal 65. That stub shaft carries a second sprocket connected by a chain to a sprocket 66, fast on a main drive shaft 61, journalled at its lower end in a bearing 68 associated with a bracket 69 carried by post 3l, and at its upper end in a gear box 10, carried by the transverse Ibearing sleeve 43. The shaft 61 has a bevelled gear at its upper end disposed within the gear box 18, in mesh with a similar gear on the transverse shaft 45, journalled in bearing sleeve 43', whereby rotation is imparted to the shaft 45, to drive the sprocket 41, the chain `58 and the sprocket 46 at the same speed as the chain 28.

'I'he upper brackets 40, 4I carry, at their rear ends, upwardly projecting members 15, 16 having seats adapted to support brake assemblies which receive the ends of a shaft 11 upon which an elongated sheet of wiping material, such as a cloth apron, is wound in the form of a roll 18. The brake assemblies each comprise lower halves 19 and upper halves 88, the latter being urged downwardly by springs 8I upon the ends of the shaft, to produce a suitable vfriction drag.

The wiping apron 18 is led from the roll supply over a guide roll 82 having its ends journalled in forward extensions of the brackets 4D, 4I. A cooperating pinch roll 83 is journalled at its ends in links 84, pivoted to the brackets at 85. The roll is urged downwardly into firm contact with the roll 82 by clamps 86, each pivoted upon the upper end of a vertically adjustable bolt 81, and being provided with a cam nose 88.

The apron passes downwardly over the lower pinch roll 82 in a substantially vertical run 98, .between the ends of the containers and the ends of the plunger assemblies 5I. At the lower end of this run, it is guided rearwardly between a pair of pinch rolls 82', 83', similar to the firstrnentioned pair of rolls. The roll 83 is urged upwardly into -contact with the she-et material by a similar clamp 86.

A pair of relatively small rollers 95, 96 are supported u pon the lower brackets 38, 39, above and behind the rolls 82', 83. The rollers 95, 95 are positively driven, as hereinafter explained, and make peripheral contact with a roll 91 of sheet material, wrapped upon a core S8, to rewind the soiled wiping apron, the en-ds of the core 98 being disposed in openings 99 in vertical guideways |00.

The apron is slowly unwound from the roll supply 'IB by the positively driven pinch rollers 82, 83, against the frictional resistance applied to the roll by the brake elements 19, 8%. The apron is drawn downwardly through the run 50 by the positive pinch rollers 82', 83', and is rewound by the rollers 95, 85, both of which, preferably, are positively rotated, as hereinafter explained.

The shaft M, driven by the sprocket 45, carries a small sprocket |55 on its rear end, connected by a chain IE5 to the driving sprocket lol of a speed reducer |03, having a driven sprocket of relatively small diameter |i39 associated therewith. The latter is connected by a chain H9 to a sprocket |H on ya stub shaft H2 carried by a bracket H3 secured to the vertical post 33.

The stub shaft carries a second sprocket H4 having a chain I I5 trained thereabout and around an idler sprocket H5 and a sprocket |57 on the shaft of roller 82. This chain H5 is also in mesh with a sprocket l I8 on the adjacent end of the roll-er 95. Hence, rotation is imparted from the sprocket H4 by the chain H5 to the rewinding roller 95 and to the pinch rolls 82', 83. The rollers 95 and 9&5 are interconnected at their other ends by a short chain trained about sprockets 35', 95', so that they rotate in the same direction in unison.

Another sprocket HS is Xed upon the stub shaft |20 for the idler sprocket H6. A chain |2I, trained about the periphery of sprocket H9, drives a similar sprocket |22 Xed upon a stub shaft |23, carried by the upper bracket 4S. A chain |24, trained about a second sprocket |25 on the stub shaft |23, is connected to a sprocket |26 on the upper pinch roll 82, whereby rotation is imparted to the rolls 82, 83.

As a result of the drive just described, the wiping apron is slowly fed in a downward direction between the ends of the contain-ers and the wiping plunger assemblies and is then rewound. Hence, a desired speed of movement is imparted to the cloth, so that a single roll may last for a full eight-hour shift, or longer. Moreover, the apron is maintained under the desired tension at all times by the positively driven pinch rolls and the friction brake associated with the supply.

The wiping plungers and their operating means will now be described. The brackets 35, 3'! carry upwardly projecting supporting members |55, I3 which support a horizontally disposed cam rail |32 having a forwardly projecting elongated portion |33 terminating in inclined ends it. The sleeves 55 of the plunger assemblies have internal bores therein, provided with enlarged portions |35 at their rear ends, and of restricted diameter |31 at their forward ends. Disposed in each bore is a plunger shaft |38 having an enlarged rear end |39 constituting an abutment for a coil compression spring |41 the other end of which bears against the forward end of the enlarged bore |35. The rear end of the enlargement I 39 terminates in a projection |42, adapted to engage the face of the cam rail |32. The forward end of the plunger shaft carries a special socket member |ll5 having a concave end face dened by an end wall. |46 andl a circular internal side wall: |41, these surfaces being adapted to be disposed opposite tov the end face and the side wall of the neck finish end of the associated container, with the wiping apron interposed. therebetween.

As. the containers and plunger assemblies move jointly across the apron, on opposite sides thereof, the cam rail |32 projects the plungers forwardly from the position shown in Figure 3 to that of Figure 4, so that the neck ends of the containers are inserted to the desired extent into and are embraced by the concave, sockete'd' end-s of the plungers with the apron interposed therebetween, as'clearly shown in Figure 4. The parts in thisY position move horizontally relative to the apron, with the result that successive portions of the apron are forced to flow into and out of the socketed end of the plunger in wiping relation to the entire neck finish of the container,

including the end and the terminal portions of the side surfaces thereof. Since the apron is moved transversely with respect to the line of movement of the containers, although quite slowly, substantially fresh wiping surfaces are continually presented to the successive containers.

Asa result of this construction, rotation of the containers is unnecessary. Moreover, an improved, positive wiping action of the desired surfaces isv effected, by the partial or substantially complete insertion of the ends of the containers into the concave ends of the plungers, with the wiping apron interposed.

Many modiiicati'ons ofv the machine shown in the accompanying drawings and of the method of the present invention will readily occurv to one skilled in the art and all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included within the invention.

I claim:

1f. An apparatus for wiping the ends of articles such as containers comprising means for moving the articles along a predetermined path, a wiping apron disposed along one side of said path "l facing the ends of the containers toV be wiped,

means on the opposite side of the apron from thecontainers mounted for movement with the containers along a path parallel therewith, and means for projecting the last-mentioned means' toward the apron and the containers to move the apron into wiping relation tothe endsofl the containers as they move along said path.

2. An apparatus for wiping the ends of containers or the like comprising meansv for supporting the containers in non-rotatable relation and for moving the same along a predetermined path while-so supported, a wiping apron disposed along said path and facing theends of the containers to be wiped, a plurality of plungers positioned behind the apron, movable with` the containersand having their ends aligned with the ends of the containers to be wiped, and cam means for projecting said plungers toward the apron and the containers, to urge the apron into wiping contact with the containers.

3. An apparatus for wiping the ends of containers, comprising means for moving the containers along a predetermined path transverse to their longitudinal axes, a wiping apron disposed along one side of said path, means on the opposite side of the apron having concave surfaces facing the ends of the containers, means for relativelyconverging the ends of the containers and said surfaces to guide the apron into embracing relation to the ends of the containers as the latter move relative to the apron, and means for shifting the apron transversely to the line of movement of the containers to present substantially fresh surfaces thereto.

4. An apparatus for wiping the ends of containers, comprising means for moving a line of containers in horizontal position along a horizontal path transverse to their axes, a wiping apron having a vertically disposed portion facing the ends of the containers, means on the opposite side of the apron having concave surfaces facing the ends of the containers, means for relatively converging the ends of the containers and said surfaces to guide the apron into embracing relation to the ends of the containers as the latter move relative to the apron, and means for vertically shifting the apron to present substantially fresh surfaces to successive containers.

5. An apparatus for wiping the neck finish ends of containers comprising means for moving the containers along a predetermined path transverse to their longitudinal axes, a wiping apron facing the ends of the containers, and means behind the apron, mounted for movement along said path with the containers and for axial movement toward said ends and having surfaces positioned to cause the apron simultaneously to embrace the end faces and circumferentially continuous end portions of the side walls of the neck finish ends of the containers as the containers and the lastmentioned means move relative to the apron.

6. An apparatus for wiping the neck finish ends of containers, comprising means for moving the containers along a predetermined path and for supporting them against rotation during suchl movement, a wiping apron adjacent said path, and means on the opposite side of the apron having concave surfaces aligned with the ends of the containers and movable toward the containers and with the containers to guide the apron into wiping engagement with the end face of the neck finish ends and simultaneously therewith into circumferentially continuous wiping engagement with the terminal portions of the side walls of the neck nish ends of the containers.

'7. An apparatus for wiping the neck nish end of a container, comprising means for supporting the container, a member having a surface facing the end wall of the neck finish end and another surface disposed in concentric relation to and opposite the side wall thereof when in operative relation thereto, a wiping apron disposed between said surfaces of said member and said Walls, means for relatively moving the member and the container toward each other to cause the neck nish end of the container to assume said operative relation with the end and side walls thereof in engagement with the apron, and means for moving the neck nish end of the container relative to the apron while in such position.

8. An apparatus for wiping the neck ends of containers, comprising a conveyor chain, a plurality of brackets carried by the chain adapted to hold the containers in non-rotatable relation and to move the same along a predetermined path in substantially horizontal position, a second conveyor chain having a run in parallel relation to the first-mentioned chain, a plurality of plungers carried by the second chain having ends aligned with and facing the neck ends of the containers, a wiping apron interposed between the container ends and the plunger ends, and cam means for projecting the plungers toward the apron and the containers, whereby the apron 7 wipes the container ends as the containers and the plungers move relative to the apron.

9. An apparatus for wiping the neck ends of containers, comprising a conveyor chain, a plurality of brackets carried by the chain adapted to hold the containers in non-rotatable relation and to move the same along a predetermined path in substantially horizontal position, a second conveyor chain having a run in parallel relation to the first-mentioned chain, a plurality of plungers carried by the second chain having concave ends aligned with and facing the neck ends of the containers, a wiping apron interposed between the container ends and the plunger ends, and cam means for projecting the plungers toward the apron and the containers to cause the neck ends of the containers and the apron to enter the concave plunger ends, whereby the apron wipes the container ends as the containers and the plungers move relative to the apron.

l0. An apparatus for wiping the neck ends 0f containers, comprising a conveyor chain, a plurality of brackets carried by the chain ladapted to hold the containers in non-rotatable relation and to move the same along a predetermined path in substantially horizontal position, a second conveyor chain having a run in parallel relation to the first-mentioned chain, a plurality of plungers carried by the second chain having concave ends aligned with and facing the neck ends of the containers, a wiping apron interposed between the container ends and the plunger ends, cam means for projecting the plungers toward the apron and the containers to cause the neck ends of the containers and the `apron to enter the concave plunger ends, whereby the apron wipes the end faces and side wall portions of the container ends as the containers and the plungers move relative to the apron, yand means for shifting the position of the apron relative to the line of containers and plungers to present a substantially continuously changing apron surface thereto.

11. An apparatus for wiping the ends of containers, comprising means for supporting a supply of sheet material in roll forni, 'a pair of guiding and pinching rolls for drawing the sheet from the supply, a second pair of similar rolls spaced from the rst pair and adapted to receive the sheet therefrom and to stretch the sheet in a predetermined plane, means for receiving the sheet from the second pair of rolls and for rewinding the same, means for moving the containers along one side of the stretched sheet, and means on the opposite side thereof for projecting the sheet into wiping contact with the ends of the containers as they move relative thereto.

12. An apparatus for wiping the ends of containers, comprising two pairs of pinch rolls disposed on horizontal axes in vertically spaced relation, means for feeding a sheet of wiping material successively between the pairs 0f rolls under predetermined tension, means for moving a line of containers horizontally with their neck ends facing the vertical run of the sheet, and means on the opposite side of the sheet moving with the containers for projecting the sheet into wiping contact with the adjacent ends of the containers.

13. An apparatus for wiping the ends of containers, comprising two pairs of pinch rolls disposed on horizontal axes in vertically spaced relation, means for feeding a sheet of wiping material successively between the pairs of rolls under predetermined tension, means for moving a line of containers horizontally with their neck ends facing the vertical stretch of the sheet, a plurality of plungers having concave end faces disposed behind the sheet and moving with the containers, and means for relatively converging the end faces of the plungers and the neck ends of the containers during their joint movement to cause the latter to be inserted in and to be embraced by the concave plunger end faces with the sheet material interposed between.

14. In a machine for wiping the neck finish ends of containers, a wiping apron having a vertically disposed portion, means for moving a line of containers in horizontal position along one side of the apron, a pair of sprockets journalled for rotation in a vertical plane on the opposite side of the apron, a chain trained about the sprockets and having one run parallel with the line of movement of the containers, a plurality of plungers carried by the chain and aligned with the ends of the containers, and means for projecting the plungers forwardly to urge the apron into wiping contact with the containers.

15. In a machine for wiping the neck finish ends of containers, a wiping apron having a vertically disposed portion, means for moving a line of containers in horizontal position along one side of the apron, a pair of sprockets journalled for rotation in a vertical plane on the opposite side of the apron, a chain trained about the sprockets and having one run parallel with the line of movement of the containers, a plurality of sleeves carried by the chain aligned with the containers, plungers in the sleeves, spring means urging the plungers rearwardly, and cam means adapted to project the plungers toward the apron to urge the latter into wiping contact with the containers.

16.. In a machine for wiping the neck finish end of a container, a wiping apron, means for supporting a container on one side thereof with the neck nish end facing the apron, and a plunger assembly on the other side of the apron adapted to move the apron into wiping contact with the container end, said assembly comprising a sleeve, a shaft slidably mounted in the sleeve, a socket member at the end of the shaft facing the apron, a spring for retracting the shaft and member to an inoperative position, and cam means for projecting the shaft and member toward the apron.

17. In a machine for wiping the neck finish ends of containers, a vertically disposed wiping apron, means for moving a line of containers with their neck finish ends facing the apron, a sprocket chain on the other side of the apron, a pair of trackways along opposite sides of the chain, a plurality of sleeves carried by the chain and slidably mounted on the trackways, plungers.

W'ILTIE I. GLADFELTER. 

